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Lame

1. Moving with pain or difficulty on account of injury, defect, or temporary obstruction of a function; as, a lame leg, arm, or muscle. To some degree disabled by reason of the imperfect action of a limb; crippled; as, a lame man. Lame of one leg. . Lame in both his feet. . He fell, and became lame. .

2. Hence, hobbling; limping; inefficient; imperfect. A lame endeavor. O, most lame and impotent conclusion! (Shak) lame duck, a person who can not fulfill his contracts.

Origin: oe. Lame, as. Lama; akin to D. Lam, g. Lahm,OHG, dan, & Sw. Lam, Icel. Lami, Russ. Lomate to break, lomota rheumatism.